Imprisoned Soul
by Falconface
Summary: AU story. Soul Eater is just another Death Weapon, imprisoned and used against his will. And when he's given one chance, to escape, to be free, and to keep his promise, Soul takes it. Of course, he's not the only one. Two Meisters, and three other Death Weapons join him. Together, can they make it to DWMA, where they'll finally be safe, or perish along the way?
1. Two Shadows

**This is an AU story. So everything that's happened in the Soul Eater you know and love, hasn't happened here. But all the main characters, some of the bigger plots, and little details will be included in one big chaotic story. Please enjoy.**

**-Falconface**

**1**

**Two Shadows**

The past is changing, the present is shifting, and the future is unclear. But they will never be the same.

Someone told me that once, though I've long forgotten who. But both my past and present have been nothing but crappy, and unless my future holds some sort of delightful surprise, everything will stay the same.

My name is Soul Eater. I'm one of the few Death Weapons left in the world. And even fewer know we exist. For as long as I've been alive, I've been imprisoned and barely kept alive.

A thin metal band at the base of my scythe handle was made with magic, and keeps me from turning into my human form. It also prevents me from speaking or showing any sign that I'm a person in weapon form.

That's why no one knows about us. Should something happen, and we show who we truly are, then the punishment is death. And I know there are plenty of others, who aren't trapped here. That the world is full of Death Weapons staying a secret, as to not suffer the same fate. But I don't think about them, as they're not part of my life.

The place I'm in is a storage room, in the basement of a tavern. I've only been out a few times. You see, a heavy scythe is not very likely to be the chosen weapon of those going on missions. Since the collar prevent our souls from becoming completely in sync with our user, we weight more than normal weapons.

The only time we're aloud out of weapon form, is when feeding time comes. It's once a day, in the evening, and we each get one afreet egg, but that's it. Surprisingly, it works just as well as normal food.

My body was stiff like it normally was, and from the laughter and voices coming beyond the rickety old door at the top of the stairs, I assumed it was late evening, when everyone had returned from hunting afreet eggs. After all my years spent here, I'd come to tell the time of day from the noise level. The only window down here was blocked from view by crates of junk.

Suddenly, the door clicked open, and swung forward, letting in a long bright ray of light. At first I thought it was feeding time, then I realized the figures were small, and there was two of them. One quickly started making her way down the stairs, glancing around. The girl had two thin ponytails of blonde hair, and wide, green eyes. She seemed to be searching for something, and made her way around the dusty and damp room.

The other figure, a boy, was a little more hesitant, and the bright light made it impossible for me to make out any features. Nervously, he spoke to the girl. "We're not suppose to be down here, Maka. We should go back."

The girl, Maka, looked over her shoulder, with a hint of irritation. "I just want to look around. If you're to scared, then go back, Kid."

Kid... the name was almost familiar. Like I'd heard it somewhere before.

The boy sighed, and closed the door, before slowly descending the stairs. His hair was black, with three white stripes on one side, and his eyes a startling yellow. I took notice that his clothes were... symmetrical. Don't ask why I noticed, but I did.

Maka was wandering toward my direction, looking around curiously. My scythe self had fallen over, when a half drunk person came down here to choose a weapon, and crashed into me, knocking me onto the ground. Nobody had bothered to put me upright.

"All these weapons are scattered everywhere." The girl muttered to herself. "You'd think they'd take better care of them."

If I could laugh, I would've. _Caring_ was something nobody here seemed to be very good at. A lot of us had died in battle, or were too injured to be of further use, and were killed.

I was then surprised, when her hand wrapped around my handle, and she attempted to lift me up. I found myself focusing, trying to match soul wavelengths the best I could, so I wouldn't be so heavy.

The result was her pulling harder, until suddenly our souls clicked, and she yanked too hard, stumbling back as the weight was suddenly taken away. "What are you doing?" Demanded Kid from the opposite side of the room. "You shouldn't touch anything."

"Then what's in your hand?" She asked, still holding me.

The boy was clutching a twin pair of pistols that had been lying on a nearby crate. I knew them, of course. They were the Thompson sisters, Liz and Patti. We hadn't spoke or anything, but names had still been passed around.

"They're symmetrical." He explained swiftly, holding them in a position that made his body completely symmetrical, except the three white stripes on the side of his head. Now the clothes made sense.

Maka returned her focus to me, giving me an experimental swing. Her stance changed, and she gripped me with both hands far apart, as if entering combat. "It's so light..." She mumbled, slowly going through a few different motions. I did my best to tweak my wavelength, so I would lighten even more.

After a few more swings and jabs, she put me down, leaning me against the crate. I watched as she went to examine more weapons, over where Kid was. Hanging up were spears and swords, along with axes, hammers, and any other weapon you could imagine, all Death Weapons.

It was then that a sudden noise came from the door. It was pushed open a small ways, and the figure entering hesitated, voices echoing outside. Maka and Kid noticed it too, and raced over, hiding behind the pile of crates that I was leaning against.

Right after, the door swung fully open and a large man stepped in, carrying an even bigger sack. I knew him. He was Sid, one of the few who knew we were Death Weapons. Surprisingly, despite his appearance, he was one of the kinder ones, and actually took the time to know our names.

He did a quick scan of the room, making sure he was alone, the trudged down the stairs, his sack big and bulky, and looked to be filled with round objects: afreet eggs.

He stopped by a table next to the stairs, and set the sack down, pulling out a key from his belt. Sid picked up a knife sitting on the table, and put the key into the small hole on the thin metal band on it's hilt, causing it to snap open.

Instantly, the knife transformed, into a bandaged girl. "Hey, Mira." Sid greeted her, pulling out one of the souls from his sack. He handed it to her, and she swallowed it, her startling blue eyes fixed on him.

He waited a few seconds, letting her do a few quick stretches, before holding up the collar. Obediently, she turned back into a knife, and he snapped it back on.

And it was on to the next weapon. Eventually it was the Thompson sisters' turns. The souls were stored in the magazines in the pistols, so there was no need to let them transform, but unlike the other feeders, Sid let them anyway.

After finishing up that side of the room, he moved over to the other, where I was. First he went to a chained scythe lying on the floor. I knew her. She was Tsubaki. I heard she had many weapon forms that she could do, but the collar prevented her from changing. And, she was one of the few of us, who had family.

I've heard rumours about her older brother. Apparently he could manipulate souls, which is most likely the reason why she was caught, and he wasn't. From what I know, he'd gone to DWMA.

DWMA... I don't know what those letters stand for, but there's been stories that it's a haven, one of the few places where Death Weapons could be safe. If I had any goals, it was to go there.

After Sid fed a few more weapons, it was my turn. I was last, as I normally was. But before he reached me, a sudden thought popped into my head. The two kids were still hiding behind the crates. When I transformed, I had two choices, to give them away, or simply keep my mouth shut. If I told, I might receive a small punishment, and then the girl and boy would be punished more. If I didn't, then either they would get away with this, and nothing would happen, or they would be caught, in which a harsh punishment would be dealt to all the weapons, and may result in some death.

But then I realized something else. Everyone in this room had seen the two kids enter, yet not a single one told. And I knew what I would do.

The key easily slid into the metal band, and it popped open and fell onto the floor with a muffled clang.

It was like I'd been pushing against a brick wall with all my might, and then it suddenly gave away, sending me flying forward. The instant the magic was released, my body turned into it's original form, kneeling on the ground.

I slowly stood, my legs and arms sore and aching. "Here, Soul," Sid handed me the last afreet egg, and I took it, before swallowing it.

After, I swung my arms around a few times, trying to loosen up, before I was stuck as a scythe for another day. After a minute, I reluctantly changed back, and he snapped on the collar, leaning me against a crate. Then he left, shutting the door firmly behind him.

Even if we didn't turn into weapons, the collar would still force us into that state. But it was a painful process, and I found that life was easier if you just obeyed commands.

The entire room was silent, seeming to hold it's breath. Then there was the shifting of fabric, as Kid and Maka emerged from behind the boxes, looking startled.

"What the..." Kid began, but trailed off.

"The weapons... turned into people!" Maka said what both of them were thinking.

_The past is changing, the present is shifting, and the future is unclear. But they will never be the same._

I wasn't sure why, of all times, I was thinking of that saying. Maybe because it finally felt like things weren't going to be the same anymore.

**Thanks to all your readers, who decided to spend your time on this chapter! Imprisoned Soul had been bugging me, until I finally decided to wright it out, and as always, post it for others to enjoy.**

**Please look forward to future chapters.**

**And don't forget to review!**


	2. Untold Secrets

**2**

**Untold Secrets**

The girl, Maka slowly approached me again, unsure what she should do. Kid was standing still, and seemed to be denying everything that just happened.

Maka looked at me again, as if searching for any signs that I'd been human. Her mouth opened but nothing came out. One would think she'd never talked to a weapon before. "You're... all human." She hesitated, waiting for any answer. But of course, there was none.

Kid seemed to finally be unfrozen, but stumbled over words just as much as the girl. "Maka, those metal bands... I think they have something to do with why they can't answer us."

I wanted to scream. _No duh!_ But the magic restrains did there job in silencing me.

Loud voices echoed outside the room, along with laughter. The light filtering through the cracks in the door were suddenly suppressed, as figures walked by.

"We should leave!" Kid urged her, inching toward the door.

Maka gave a reluctant nod, and followed the boy up the stairs, the outside returning to silence again. But just before she disappeared beyond the doorway, she gave the room a final look. "I'll come back for you. I promise... Soul"

I sat there stunned, as the door closed. Had I heard her right? The last word was barely a whisper. But Sid had said my name when I received the afreet egg, so maybe she overheard... but still. The other weapons would've teased me about it, if they could.

As the hours ticked by, I couldn't help but think about her words. _I promise_. It bugged me, because I'd made a promise to someone too. But at this point, I didn't think I'd ever fulfil it.

...

I was awoken from a light daze as two sets of footsteps came from the stairs. My mind still bleary from sleep, I didn't notice who they were at first. But by the time they reached the floor, I was full aware. The two kids, had actually come back!

I didn't know whether to be excited or panicked or anything else. For the moment, I was dumbfounded that they'd been idiotic enough to return. And I could tell it was late evening, and the feeder would be coming again. If they were caught, all of us would get in trouble.

I wanted to yell at them, but then saw that they'd made their way behind the crates next to me, hidden from view from anyone who might come down here. What they were trying to achieve, I wasn't sure. But something was going to happen, and it'd probably not end well.

It was only a little while later, when the door opened, and Sid came down. They were lucky. If any other feeder found them, a whole lot of hell would break loose. But Sid was different, kinder. He'd probably let them off with a warning, and that'd be the end of it. But still.

When he reached the end of the staircase, he did a quick scan of the room, before taking out the key and unlocking Mira's collar. I knew the two were good friends. He always chose her for missions, and fed her first. I didn't know if it was recent love, or some past relationship that lead to this.

Then I heard Kid and Maka move around behind the crates. It was a small noise, could be thought of as rats, but it still set me on edge. They were far too close to being discovered. If Sid was paying attention, he would totally notice them.

Sid was holding up the collar, waiting, when, "Sid, what are you doing?" Maka had come out of hiding, though Kid was still out of view.

Sid was surprised, as if he thought just looking would've cleared the room of strangers. Beside him, Mira froze, not sure what to do. It was like looking at deer caught in headlights. Nobody was moving.

"Maka," He managed to find his voice. "you shouldn't be down here!"

Her deadly gaze didn't falter. "Why can these weapons turn into people?" She demanded, ignoring his previous statement.

He seemed doubtful on how much to say. Normal people shouldn't even know this much. "They're... Death Weapons."

"Go on." Her eyes were still narrowed, and her hands clenched into fists.

"They have a weapon and human form, but the metal collars prevent them from changing into their human form. I don't agree with the way they're treated, but there's nothing I can do to change it. Not many people know about Death Weapons. Your mother..." That was when he realized what he was saying.

"My mother what?" She had guts, I'll give her that.

"She knew about them. But couldn't do much, same as me. There was a particular scythe she liked wielding, a believe his name was Spirit Albarn, your father. They were in love, and knew they couldn't stay here. But at the same time, couldn't bring you with them. They left you here, knowing that even this place wouldn't harm an innocent child, especially knowing that child had the potential to be a Meister." He explained briefly.

"A Meister?" She asked.

He nodded. "Someone with the potential to wield a Death Weapon. Almost everyone here is a Meister, though most haven't received proper training. I believe the best one was Lord Death."

"My father?" Kid came out of the shadows silently, his golden eyes fixed on Sid.

"Death the Kid!" Sid was completely surprised, obviously thinking Maka was alone.

Death the Kid... Lord Death's son. That's why Kid sounded so familiar. Even Death Weapons locked away in the basement of some tavern know of Lord Death, and quite a few, of his son. It wasn't as if there were very many shinnigamis in the world.

"Yes," Kid replied dryly. "My father, Lord Death, left a long time ago. And it seems like you might know something about it."

Sid bit his lip. "Lord Death suddenly disappeared one day, and never came back. Quite a few years later, he suddenly sends us his son, with no explanation whatever. I wasn't here at the time, so I don't know much, but rumour has it he started the DWMA."

"DWMA?" They both asked in union.

Before Sid could reply, Mira interrupted. "Sid, if you take to long, they'll what's happened. You should be done feeding by now."

She then switched to weapon form, and patiently waited as Sid put the collar back on. He looked at the two kids still standing there. "Come back here at midnight, and I'll tell you everything else. But until then, you should leave."

I could tell they were keeping back angry replies, as they did as they were told, and slipped back outside. When the door clicked shut behind them, Sid resumed the feeding, with a little more haste, not letting the Death Weapons have as much time to stretch.

My turn came and went, and in no time, he'd left, leaving us again in darkness and silence. The early night seemed to tick by incredibly slow. I knew they were coming back, but it seemed like an eternity, before once again, the door opened, and footsteps were heard as someone descended the stairs.

It was Sid. Even without looking, I could tell from the heavy clumps. He made his way to an empty chair sitting in the corner, and sat down to wait. Only a few minutes passed before Maka and Kid also came, in the same silence.

For a few moments know one spoke. It was like the previous conversation could never be started again. Then, Sid sighed and asked, "Do you two... want to find your parents?"

Maka immediately said yes, but Kid seemed startled by the question, as if it never occurred to him that he could see his dad again. "Can you help us?" He asked slowly.

Sid shook his head. "Only so much. I've been sworn to secrecy. And it also means I can't do anything to help free the weapons, or escape myself. But that doesn't apply to you."

At that statement, Kid froze. "Are you telling us to..." He couldn't seem to finish his sentence.

"I'm not telling you to do anything. I'm just giving you choices, that's the kind of man I am." He still seemed hesitant, as if there was something more he wanted to tell them. "Just know, that if you leave, you can't come back. And if you were to be caught, the punishment will be painful."

Sid got to his feet, and turned to the stairs. "Goodnight. I wish you luck on whatever choice you make."

"Wait!" Maka shouted before he could take a step. "What about the Death Weapons?"

"I can't do anything to help them... but I do tend to forget my key a lot." With that, he place a small thin object on the table, and left the room. His key sat there, on the wooden surface, painfully close.

Imagine something you desire more than anything else, and if that something was placed right in front of you, but you couldn't touch it. That's somewhat close to how I felt. If you wanted to torture someone, this was the way.

Maka went over, and picked it up, while Kid stood still, wondering if this was really happening. Then the girl surprised me, as she suddenly turned around, and headed toward me. '_I'll come back for you. I promise... Soul.'_ Those were her words, but I didn't think she meant them. Even now she would probably just return the key, and leave without bothering with us.

But no. She held onto my handle, as her other hand slid the key into the lock and... _click_. My form immediately turned to human, but with a little more hesitation. Was this really happening? I kneeled there, looking at the two of them, disbelief clear on my face.

_The past is changing, the present is shifting, and the future is unclear._

"_But they will never be the same._"

**For those of you who took the time to read the title of this story, I've also noticed how ironic it is. But I still think it's awesome. Please look forward to more of this story.**

**Don't forget to review.**


	3. Shattered Home

**I was a little ify about my first non-warrior fanfic, but I think this turned out pretty epic! Thank you all so much for your reviews! I love reading them! And to Hello this is me speaking, don't worry, all or most of your questions will be answered very soon. -Falconface**

**3**

**Shattered Home**

My whole world was changing, and I wasn't entirely sure how I should deal with it. I was free... Finally free! And yet all I could do was stare at the person who'd freed me. Maka looked at me, unsure herself of what to do now.

Kid was protesting in the background, but I'd learned that I didn't need to listen. In the next second, I made my move. In one swift bound, I grabbed Tsubaki from where she lay on the ground.

There were many reasons for this, but not enough time to explain. Without thinking twice, I raced back, and leapt up the stacked boxes, smashing through the single window in the dark storage room.

The rush of cold air stunned me for a second, but I quickly recovered, and took off into the night. I didn't know where I was going, didn't even know why I was doing this. My skin stung with pain from where pieces of glass had drawn blood. I ignored it the best I could, and kept running.

In my hands, Tsubaki was doing her best to match her soul to mine, taking away much of the weight, making it less of a hassle to carry her.

The thin layer of powdered snow crunched under my shoes, and behind I could feel the warmth of the tavern slowly fading away. A few rocky outcrops and lonely pine trees dotted the landscape, but other than that, there was nothing but white.

I spared a quick glance behind me, seeing Maka and Kid crawling out the window, Kid holding the twin pair of pistols he'd been looking at earlier. In my heart, I knew I should've released all the weapons down there, but at the same time, I knew it was impossible.

All I could do was run. Run from my fears, my pain, my past. Though I could never truly escape.

By the time the rays of dawn were slipping over the landscape, the building was far away, out of sight. Never in my life had I run this much, and my legs were aching and wobbly, and my lungs sore from breathing in the chilly air.

I skidded to a stop behind a small pile of rocks, where it gave some shelter from the wind, and also hid us from view. Just as I sat down, Maka and Kid appeared, both breathing as heavy as I was. I held out my hand to Maka. "The key."

Hesitantly, she pulled out the silver object from deep within her coat pocket, and handed it to me. I shoved it into Tsubaki's collar, and it opened, allowing her to return to her human form. The look she gave me was both thankful, and telling me I was an idiot at the same time.

Next, I gave the key to Kid, and watched him release the two Thompson sisters. They sprang out of weapon form, the younger one looking around with awe, while the older, Liz, commented on the escape. "I can't believe we're out." She whispered.

I could only nod in agreement, and then survey our surroundings. We couldn't stay here. The cold would kill us in no time. But where should we go?

"You could at least thank me."

"Huh?" Maka was shooting daggers at me, her cold eyes expecting some reply. "Uh, thanks... Maka."

She seemed shocked that I knew her name. But seeing that she knew mine, I figured we were even.

"What now?" I felt kinda sorry for Kid. This whole time he was just being dragged along.

"We go to DWMA." I replied immediately. They looked at me. "Your parents are there aren't they? So is Tsubaki's brother. It's the only place where we'll be safe."

Nobody had any objections to say, and it was made official. The only problem was none of us knew where the DWMA was. But after resting, it was decided to head in a south-ish direction. If anything it would at least be warmer.

After a while, Maka quickened her pace so she caught up with me, since I was the one leading the group. "So how'd you end up imprisoned there?" She asked, breaking the awkward silence between us.

I simply shrugged. "Dunno. Been there my whole life."

"You're name was Soul, right?" She double checked.

At first I thought she'd actually memorized my name, but now I could see she was just guessing. "Yeah. It's Soul Eater." I didn't know what to say to someone who basically just saved my life. But I guess the most I could do was thank her properly. "Helping us... was an idiotic thing to do. But... thanks." Okay, so maybe that wasn't the best way to put it, but it was close enough.

I was rewarded with a whack over the head, and I glared at her, and she glared at me. Suddenly Patti burst forward, pointing a finger at a nearby rock. "That rock looks like a bunny!"

"Hey, Patty, don't go running ahead!" Liz freaked out.

Maka let out small giggle, and I felt a smile tug at my lips, but held it back. In truth, I couldn't see how the rock looked like a bunny, but didn't bother to voice my opinions.

There were small conversations starting up, mostly asking about each others life, and how things came to be. I didn't really listen. Even Maka joined in at times, and I was left alone at the front of the group, but didn't really mind.

"Soul," the quiet voice was Tsubaki's. "Is something wrong?"

I couldn't help but be surprised. "Maybe." I mumbled.

"Soul?"

"Yeah?"

"Thanks... for saving me."

"..."

...

Some time later, we came across the wreckage of an old house, and agreed it was a suitable place to rest. Or, at least we assumed it had been a house. Most of the roof and the stone walls had collapsed and were worn with time, but it still provided a suitable shelter. The Thompson sisters managed to collect some fairly dry wood, and after a few failures, we got a fire going.

Tsubaki did a partial transformation, using some move called "Trap Star", which I felt should have been more extreme, but for now, it managed to catch us a few rabbits, that we split equally.

The meat was plain, but after eating afreet eggs your whole life, it was a nice change. After that, we simply sat around the licking flames, in silence, all the previous conversations dying out.

Then Maka stood and walked over to me. "Soul... can I try wielding you again?"

"Huh?" I didn't fully understand what she was saying.

"I'm a Meister, so I'm suppose to be able to wield Death Weapons." She didn't meet my eyes. "So I hoping to try wielding you in scythe form again."

Before I could protest that what happened before had nothing to do with right now, she went on. "Besides, I did save you. You owe me this."

I bit my lip. How many times in the future would I have to suffer because she saved me? It hurt to think about it. But at the same time, I was curious if being used with the collar off would be different than if it was on.

Except, I wasn't ready to be stuck in weapon form again. I'd spent most of my life that way, and I felt panicked that somehow I'd be stuck that way again. Unable to turn human. Though I knew that we'd left the collars far behind.

Gritting my teeth, I summoned my weapon form. The transformation was easy, but reluctant. My scythe form fell into Maka's hands. The others were watching us as well.

She gripped me tightly, almost nervously. "Give me a sec." I mumbled, kind of surprised that my voice echoed around, and was heard by the others. I focused the best I could on our souls, surprised that Maka was doing the same. Instantly, I realized our souls matched. They fit well together, and I quickly gave the all clear.

She swung hard, and I focused all my energy into the swing. It was like I'd been granted access to power locked away, and was taking it all, and giving it to her.

She swung me in a wide arc, and I adjusted my weight, making the movement smoother and more affective. And... I also found I could move! A little if anything, but enough to make a difference. I trusted her, and she trusted me.

"Can we do more?" She asked, barely breathing hard.

I thought about it. "I've heard of something called Soul Resonance. But it's hard. Our soul wavelengths have to match perfectly."

"Let's do it!" On her command, I focused on our souls. I felt them coming closer together, and then, they touched, and power washed over me.

I could tell Maka was feeling the same thing. Our wavelengths just seemed to click into place, and the power level rapidly increased. Not only that, but I felt myself _change_. My weapon form suddenly had two blades, and not only that, but they were massive, and kind of looked like a glass rainbow. But I knew my original form still existed underneath. If anything, this was just a cover. A super powerful deadly cover that could cut you in half in one sweep.

I felt Maka's grip tighten, and then she swung me down, away from the others. I cut through the ground, as if nothing was there. And as I rocketed back up, I pushed forward all my power. The result was a wave of pure energy that smashed a nearby boulder to dust.

During that destruction, a sudden name echoed in my mind: _Witch Hunter_. That was what our Soul Resonance was called. I was curious if it actually could kill a witch. But we'd probably never get the chance to find out. Witches were accepted into this society, as they made magical weapons and tools that helped the citizens. And made us Death Weapons despise them, for the magic collar they invented that ruined our lives.

As Maka just stared, the Soul Resonance slipped, and shattered. I was left in my normal scythe form, and I quickly turned back human. I knew we could do better. That this move could be more powerful, more deadly. But it had been hard enough to keep our souls connected. Maka was completely new at adjusting her soul, so I'd been focused on tweaking mine. If it'd been easier to connect soul wavelengths, then I might have been able to send even more power into every stroke.

But the others were still staring at the massive damage this one move had caused. I guess this was good enough for them, and I did feel a little awe, about what we just did. In the end all I said was, "Is that good enough for you?"

Maka nodded slowly, and I returned beside the fire. Right now, so many things were going through my mind. Something like this had never happened before. I'd heard rumours that in the past, Meisters and Weapons would form partnerships. The best teams had souls that matched and complimented each other. I always thought it was impossible, and unnecessary.

Those at the tavern chose weapons at random. It didn't matter what the soul wavelength was.

Sometime later, Maka sat down beside me, while Kid declared that he and the Thompson sisters should try it to. Tsubaki went to watch, leaving the two of us alone together.

In the background I could hear the twin pistols fire, Kid's complaints about symmetry, and Tsubaki's encouragements.

"Hey Soul." Maka was looking at me.

"Yeah?"

"When I took the collar off... the fist thing you did was grab Tsubaki. Why?" Her question completely caught me off guard.

I hesitated and carefully thought about my answer. "I made her... a promise."

**Thanks for reading yet another chapter! I hope you're enjoying it! And thanks for all the great reviews you've given! See you all next time!**


	4. Promise

**4**

**Promise**

In my earliest memories, I was too young to be of use. So I was kept in a small locked room, with a single bed and a barred window too high for me to reach.

Sid would visit sometimes, and tell me stories and rumours of the outside world. I started realizing how important some of these facts were, and listened the best I could. I had dreams about escaping and going to DWMA. Finally being safe, and reunited with my long lost family. Of course I knew that it was a fantasy that could never happen. But it was still nice to dream.

Eventually, the day came when a young girl, also a Death Weapon, was kept in the same space as me. At the beginning she wouldn't talk to me, but eventually, I got her to say her name. She was Tsubaki.

At first I was just happy that I wouldn't be locked in that room alone anymore. But then I learned more of her story.

One night she woke to a sound she didn't recognize, and realized the house had been set on fire. She'd run outside, trying to find her parents, her older brother, or anyone else. She was quickly captured, and when they realized she was a Death Weapon, they brought her here. For the longest time she thought her family was dead, then Sid brought news that her brother was alive.

Seeing her sadness made me want to do anything to get her back to her older brother. So I made her a promise. Saying that I would get her out, and take her to her brother... or die trying.

It wasn't very long after that we were old enough to be used. When they told me to go into weapon form, so they could put the collar on, I refused. They put it on anyway, and what I experienced was a hot, searing pain that seemed to burn my skin. I'd collapsed and screamed in agony, slowly being morphed into my scythe self. When the transformation was compete, the pain ebbed away. And then they turned to Tsubaki.

I wanted to warn her to listen to them, so she didn't have to suffer the same way, but found myself unable to talk, unable to move, unable to do anything.

To my horror, she also rebelled, and I had to watch her wither around, the collar slowly forcing the transformation on her. After that, we were stuck in the cellar, and it didn't take me long to figure out all the weapons down there were people, in the same situation as us.

I didn't forget the promise. I couldn't. But as time went on, I knew I'd never be able to fulfil it. Yet now, I finally have the chance. And I would take it.

I didn't tell Maka all of this, and she didn't pry. The same silence returned, only broken by the occasional crackle of the fire.

"Soul," Kid walked up to us, the Thompson pistols in his hands, and Tsubaki following. "How did you do that Soul Resonance thing?"

"You have to match your wavelengths perfectly. Even more than what you're doing now. Then you have to hold it that way for the entire time." I explained briefly.

"Yeah, but how do we do that?" Liz asked, her voice echoing slightly, as it came from inside the gun.

I glanced at Maka, a little unsure of how to explain. When we did it, it came naturally. If their souls were a good match, it should be the same for them. In the end, all I could do was shrug. It was probably harder, with three souls trying to match.

Kid's eyes closed in concentration, and I knew his weapons were doing the same. Nothing happened for a few long seconds, then the pistols began to glow.

As I watched, they grew wider, longer, and more powerful. The glow diminished, and the result was cool. Kid's hands were inside of the guns. They weren't pistols any more, they were bigger and looked more deadly. I noticed three black spikes were coming out of Kid's arms on either side, but they didn't look like they hurt.

His eyes widened with sort of pleasure, that I assumed came from the fact that they were still symmetrical. "This is insane!" Liz was in awe, I could tell. "Resonance factor stable. Noise, 0.4 %. Black needle soul wavelength charge complete. Five seconds to feedback." She sounded like she had this rehearsed, and Kid seemed to know what this meant. "4, 3, 2, 1, 0."

"You're free to fire!" Patti stated cheerfully.

Kid swung them around, aiming at a boulder a little ways off. I could feel the energy being gathered. Then, two glowing orbs were fired, and raced toward the stone. Instantly, the entire thing exploded, leaving nothing but rubble behind.

I could only stare. That might be even more powerful than our Soul Resonance. In that second, their concentration broke, and Liz and Patti switched back into their pistol form.

"What was that?" Maka asked, awe clear in her voice.

"Death Cannon..." Kid mumbled the words under his breath, and I almost didn't hear them. Was that like our Witch Hunter? Where the name suddenly just popped into your head?

Everything had fallen into a complete silence. All the animals had been scared away from the loud, rattling blasts that had just occurred. These moves were so powerful. And all it took was a Meister and Demon Weapon.

I couldn't get why they put those magic collars on us, and hid away such power. But then something told me, that maybe, it hadn't always been this way.

...

The next day was clear and free of clouds, but despite the bright sun, there was still a chilly wind. I knew we had to get out of these mountains. The cold would kill us eventually. I was even starting to miss the warmth of the basement in the tavern.

I felt kinda bad for Tsubaki. All us Weapons had Meisters, and were doing cool moves, that left regular fighting far behind. Maybe she'd be able to do the same thing, if she managed to find a Meister at DWMA.

I could tell Maka wanted to wield me some more, but was iffy about the number of times I'd let her get away with the I-saved-you-so-you-owe-me excuse. Despite wanting to try Witch Hunter again, I didn't want to go to weapon form quite yet. My muscles were still sore from years of not being used.

But in reality, it felt like my life spent locked up in the cellar was nothing but a horrible nightmare. There was still a chance that they'd find us, and bring us back. But at the moment, that was the least of my worries. What I was really worried about was Tsubaki. What if something had happened to her brother? What if he'd been killed? I wouldn't be able to stand her tears.

I sighed, and looked ahead of us. We'd been walking in a deep valley between to mountains, that were slowly becoming closer together. Ahead, the two sides grew incredibly steep, and were only about ten or so meters apart. The top of the cliffs were a long ways up, too high to climb.

As we entered into the narrow passage, I glanced up, and for a split second, thought I saw something moving across the top on the gorge. But when I blinked, it was gone. Deciding it was some sort of animal, I focused on what was ahead of us.

The trail went straight for a while, before slowly turning right, leaving the rest hidden from view. I'm no expert, but from just looking, I could tell this was the perfect place for an ambush. The only problem was, there was no road or paths leading here, and we'd just come upon it by sheer dumb luck. Anyone who'd come through here, let alone worth robbing, would be very few.

It was when we passed under a slight overhang of pointed stone, did a loud, slightly obnoxious voice echo through the gorge. "Yahoo!"

**As a brief notice, I might end up posting chapters every other week instead of every week. There's just so many stories I'm trying to work on at once.**

**Hope you enjoyed!**

**-Falconface**


	5. The Shining Star

A/N; Guess what came back from the dead?! That's right! This story. Right here. That I haven't touched since November 23rd 2014.

Now once upon a time I wrote seven chapters. And once upon a time I only posted four. Three chapters were left unposted and unread. Now I've retrieved them and rewritten them, using the original base of them.

Also shout out to everyone who reviewed, even after this story went on hiatus. Every time I read a review I couldn't help but smile knowing someone found this story and liked it enough to comment. Thank you one and all, and without any further delay, accept this new chapter.

5

The Shining Star

I jerked my head up in surprise, noticing a tiny shape teetering on a ledge near the top of the cliff face. Everyone else noticed too and squinted, trying to figure out what it was. All the while the shouting continued.

"I'm Black Star!" It was quite a ways off. I couldn't really hear it. "The man who will surpass God!"

"Maybe it's just a monkey?" Liz half muttered under her breath.

"No... I think it's person," Maka said. "See? It's got little arms and legs."

"Let's just ignore it," I suggested. We still had miles of road ahead of us and standing here staring at something flailing its arms didn't seem like a solid plan.

Just then, the figure hurled itself into the air and fell straight down at break-neck speeds. It landed hard on the uneven stone ground, and stood up, barely fazed by the fall. The boy was short, just a kid, and his hair was sticking out in all directions like he'd gotten struck by lighting. The weirdest part was the fact that he was not dressed for the weather, nor seemed to be from around here at all. The chance of him being a threat was far from my mind.

"Look at all your stunned faces! Can't stop looking at how big I am! Hya ha ha ha!" He laughed like a psychopath. I thought maybe this is what people meant when they use the word 'arrogant'.

"Oi," I whispered to Kid. "You _are_ Lord Death's son, aren't you? That makes you a god. Go fight him."

"What? No!" Kid looked horrified. "You go fight him!"

"I'm not a god. You go fight him!" At first our argument was in hushed tones, but it quickly grew louder.

The others were looking at us, but the brat was still laughing. "Why don't you fight him?" Maka hissed at me. "It doesn't look like he's that tough or anything."

"I am not turning into a weapon again!" I growled. Before I'd been curious, but with all said and done, I wasn't about to transform for her pleasure. I wanted to be human for as long as possible. Because who knew how long it would last?

I tried to ignore her hurt expression.

"Um... Hello?" I jerked my head around in surprise. Tsubaki had approached the kid, a little cautiously, and seemed to be trying to communicate. "It is Black Star, isn't it?" Her voice was quiet, humble, and polite.

"Yep!" He was snapped out of his psychotic laughing, as his attention was diverted to her. "I'm the man who will surpass God! Who're you small fries?"

"My name's Tsubaki," she said with a slight bow. "These are my friends."

She'd known most of us for about forty eight hours and now we were all suddenly friends? Whatever. I stopped caring a while ago.

"Let's just go," Kid hissed beside me. "There's no helping this weirdo."

"Don't think I'm small enough to be ignored!" I turned with a start. The kid had somehow teleported onto a nearby boulder, causing him to be several feet higher than us. "I am the man who will surpass God!"

"He's a shinnigami." I pointed at Kid. "So he's a god."

"Wait! Why'd you tell him!" Kid looked horrified, like I'd just asked him to go jump into a lake.

I wasn't sure myself. I just kind of felt the need.

I didn't ponder about it long because suddenly a blur shot by me and straight at Kid. Lord Death's son didn't have time to even blink before a fist slammed into his cheek. He stumbled back and rubbed the bruised and throbbing skin. "What was that for?!" he snapped at Black Star.

The ambusher had a determined grin on. "I am the man who will surpass God!"

What had I done? I mean sure the kid was crazy, but I didn't think he'd actually attack anyone.

Death the Kid yelped and backed up another step as he dodged another blow to the face. Black Star was definitely determined. But with the element of surprise gone, Kid was suddenly able to fight back.

He dropped to the ground and swept his feet out to trip his opponent. Then quickly followed through with a fist to the jaw. The beating only seemed to made Black Star more eager for a fight.

He returned his own blows, but I realized how sloppy they were in comparison to someone who'd obviously mastered the martial arts. Kick. Block. Punch. Kick. Over and over.

"Hey, stop it!" Tsubaki almost shouted. She looked panicked. It was unclear how this fight would turn out. However she wasn't the one that ended it.

Suddenly a bullet shot between the two battling boys, smashing a crater into the cliff face. Both instantly froze and stared at Liz, who held Patti in her weapon form.

The older sister was frowning at them, before letting go of Patti. A split second later she shifted back into a human, looking quite pleased at her performance.

It never occurred to me before that they could wield each other. Guess Meisters weren't so special after all.

"Forget it," Liz said in a dangerous tone. Her eyes had gone hard. "Fighting isn't getting us out of the snow any faster. Let's just go."

Without waiting for anyone's permission, she twisted around and started up a fast pace with her long strides. Pattie, happy as ever, trotted after her. Maka gave me an uncertain look, then followed them.

Kid, Tsubaki, and I trailed after.

Black Star's expression as we left was something of silent shock and awe. It was clear he had never seen a pistol turn into a girl before. Just another oblivious individual.

He didn't try to stop us, but eventually he reverted to glaring silently. I had no regrets about leaving this gorge behind.

...

The sun had set by the time we emerged out of the canyon. Wind howled strongly and whipped around the snow, making it hard to see. On a silent agreement we retreated back into the shelter of the cliffs for the night.

I made myself comfortable on the uneven stone, feeling snow dampen my clothes. My legs were stiff from walking and I felt cold. Unfortunately, there would be no fire tonight.

Everyone curled themselves up as they waited for sleep. They shivered but didn't try to move closer. We all had our differences. We weren't friends, as Tsubaki had said. We were strangers stuck in a situation no one wanted.

I sighed to myself and leaned my head back. Things were much simpler before, in the warmth of the tavern basement. In the cramped form of my weapon that was horribly constricting.

I flexed my hands. I could feel the cold numbing my fingers, but it still felt good to be able to move each individual joint. I was alive now. I was human.

The moon rose steadily, until I could finally see it through the top of the gorge. It glowed almost full, and was one steady point in this chaotic world. If things had been different, I doubted I'd be seeing a sky like this for a long time.

For hours after I watched the stars. Sleep never came to me. My breath came out in small puffs and the chill of night had set into my limbs.

I was exhausted, to be sure. But I couldn't dream. I never could. Instead I was stuck being sleepless and tired. Tired of everything.

I heard steps from farther inside the gorge. Without moving my head, I glanced that direction, catching sight of a small silhouette watching us. It was Black Star. But now he seemed a lot more humble. I wondered briefly what he wanted. He was probably just curious. Death Weapons weren't common. People who knew about them even less so. It must be weird to see a person transform when you thought humans were simply humans and witches were simply witches. I couldn't imagine it, because that wasn't my life.

After a while Black Star left again. He vanished out of sight around one of the bends. Only then did I allow my eyes to close and my mind to drift.

...

When I woke up Black Star was back. The sky was still dark, with patches of lighter colours just barely showing. Everyone was awake.

Black Star seemed to be having some argument with Kid and Maka. I didn't know what about. My mind was still muddled by sleep and I couldn't bring myself to care.

Instead I slowly stood and stretched the stiffness out of my muscles. It was nice to be able to move when I wanted to. To walk around endlessly and find myself out of breath. As a weapon I could never have that experience.

I yawned loudly and watched as Maka charged back in my direction. I gave her a tired shark-toothed grin. "What's up?"

"Black Star," she fumed. "He wants to come with us. No matter how many times we say no!"

I raised an eyebrow at this. "Does he even know where we're going?"

"Apparently he doesn't care!" Maka snapped. "I give up. He can do whatever he wants."

And thus he wanted to follow us. Eventually Kid gave up as well, and we all left the gorge as one big happy family. Black Star looked completely smug with himself, as he trailed behind, hands behind his head. Every now and then he'd grin and laugh. I don't know why, but he didn't bug me as much anymore. Maybe I was just tired.

...

A/N; Thanks for reading. Don't know what will happen with other chapters or when they'll be posted. If all goes well then you should get another in a week. But who knows if that'll be true.

Also, if you're curious about my other stories or this one, or have any questions, concerns or suggestions, feel free to pm me. I look forward to seeing you all again.

-Falconface


	6. Fireside Stories

A/N; So, it's been a busy, what? Month or so? I lost track. First midterm exams, then I went on a trip, then I was catching up on missed work. Now the calm has come.

Heads up, the next chapter isn't finished yet, so I can't predict when it will be posted. And also, for clarification on a review I got, this story isn't seven chapters long. That's just how many chapter drafts I finished at the time before loosing interest. The length of this story has not been determined.

6

Fireside Stories

The evergreens grew thicker and more plentiful the farther we walked. The land continued to slope gently down and already the air seemed a little less cold than it once was.

It had been a few days since we left the gorge. Black Star still continued to follow us, we all still continued to bicker, and I still continued to be cold.

My feet were numb and frozen from all the walking, and my shoes were soaked completely. All my clothes were wet and stiff. I didn't know how much longer I could continue before it drove me insane.

Sometimes I almost wished I was back in my weapon form.

I didn't miss a lot of things. I didn't like dwelling in the past. But I did miss the warmth of the dim tavern basement. Absolutely nothing else from that place, though.

Sometime around midday I noticed smoke rising from the tops of the trees in thin strands. It didn't look like a forest fire. Which meant it was manmade. Which meant food and possible shelter.

My stomach grumbled loud enough to get my attention.

"I think there's village over there," I noted with a nod of my head in the direction.

The others looked to where I was gesturing, and everyone instantly brightened up. "Civilization!" Liz exclaimed.

"Civilization!" Patti echoed.

Everyone became instantly more upbeat. I grinned myself, and we all turned in the direction of the rising smoke.

"I've got enough cash for food, and maybe some supplies," Maka noted, thumbing through some coins she pulled out of her pocket. "But I don't think we'll be able to stay at an inn or anything."

I groaned at the thought of another night out in the cold and damp snow. But at least we might be able to get real food.

Houses became visible through gaps in the trees. But this definitely wasn't a normal village. Massive spikes produced from the roofs of the huts, like a porcupine had a bad day. I didn't like the feel of the place at all, but I wasn't one to complain so long as my stomach was full at the end of the day.

The seven of us entered the village, walking down the streets which had been cleared of snow. Most of the windows were boarded up, and only a few residents were milling about.

"Let's split up," Maka decided. "Me and Soul can go find food, and you guys see if there's anything else useful." She handed Kid about half of her money, and he nodded briefly.

I raised an eyebrow, wondering why Maka chose me out of everyone. She didn't seem to notice that I was looking her way, and I decided not to bring it up.

We went our separate ways. Somehow Maka and I found a bakery, and we bought enough sandwiches for everyone. Then two loaves of bread and some cheese for later on. Maka didn't want to spend anymore on food that might spoil.

We left the shop moments before shouting filled the air. Very angry voices rose up, and people emerged from their houses to see what the commotion was. With a glance at me, Maka took the lead with quick light steps, following the flow of people.

I trudged along after her. Suddenly our five travelling companions came barrelling past, the entire town seemingly after them. Villagers brandished pitchforks and shovels, and hollered something about a demon child and a Star Clan.

Maka followed our companions without question, sprinting to keep up as no one seemed keen on waiting for us. Confused, I followed, my breaths coming out in white puffs.

None of us spoke, only ran, from the village and deep into the forest. We continued to use the slopping ground as a guide, and only slowed when the shouts and threats faded behind us.

Even then we continued to walk at a quick pace.

"Does anyone want to explain what happened?!" Maka demanded, coughing as she tried to draw icy air into her lungs. "How'd you manage to anger an entire village?!"

"It was like they just saw Black Star and instantly labelled him as their enemy," Kid explained. "Something about a Star Clan I think."

Our own little stow away winced. "Yeah... about that. My Clan is maybe a teensy little bit hated in some places."

I frowned at that. Not only was Black Star following us, but he seemed to be the enemy of everyone in the area. Too bad there wasn't an easy way to make him go away.

Eventually we slowed to a complete stop, and sat down on the ground where the snow was thinest. I could still feel it soak my pants. Maka handed out the sandwiches, and Kid pulled out a box of matches he'd bought right before things went sour.

Tsubaki volunteered to gather firewood, and I decided to go with her. My legs protested and were a bit shaky, but I couldn't stand being surrounded by bickering people anymore.

The pine forest was strangely silent and still. Snow fell from branches and squirrels darted across the earth. I also noticed that water was dripping from icicles, and that the white on the ground was a lot thinner than I remembered. We were getting somewhere. Somewhere warmer. Either that or spring was coming. It didn't matter, so long as this nightmarish frost land came to an end.

I started snapping branches of the base of a tree. They were dry enough, I decided. I started collecting a pile in my arms. When it was almost too heavy to carry, I found Tsubaki, who was holding a similar bundle, and we both headed back to camp.

I felt like I needed to say something to her, but I was at a loss for words. There were so many things that were happening and changing. Now all I wanted was to be able to feel safe and warm again. With a full stomach as a bonus.

In the end I stayed silent, but spared her a glance. She looked my way, and upon seeing me, smiled. She seemed happy. I suppose that was good enough for me. But I knew I couldn't leave her side or let anything happen to her, not until we found her brother.

When we got back to camp, the others were patiently explaining to Black Star what Death Weapons were, and our goal of going to DWMA. I heard him ask several stupid questions, that of course got stupid answers.

I dropped my pile of sticks near the edge our base, and took a few to start a fire with. Kid handed me the matches. It took several tries to strike one, and even after the wood refused to be lit.

Tsubaki set her pile down beside mine and brushed the splinters from her dress. She looked at me questionably, wondering if I needed help. I declined as finally one of the branches began to burn. The flames grew bigger and bigger, and already their warmth was soothing.

I sat back and gratefully accepted a sandwich from Maka. It tasted good. Definitely better than afreet eggs. Fresh bread with expertly sliced ham and savoury cheese. We should have gotten more.

I watched the fire and sat as close as I dared. With a full stomach and finally some warmth, I was beginning to see the situation with a more optimistic view. That was a bit more difficult than it sounds.

We had a goal. Getting to the DWMA. Grand. But how were we suppose to find it? There were rumours that it was in a desert. Wonderful. That didn't help us, especially when we were still in a snowy forest.

Eventually we would need a better method of transportation than walking. One we'd only find in civilization. As well as even the faintest of rumours that would give a more specific location.

I hated to admit it, but it looked like we needed to find a witch-governed city. That seemed like a terrible idea, but the best one we had.

"So, Black Star," Liz said, breaking the awkward silence. "Why were you in the mountains?"

The blue haired boy looked at her, definitely not expecting to be asked anything. Though I kept my gaze focused on the fire, I was listening quietly.

"I dunno," Black Star responded. "I was just wandering around and sort of ended up there."

"And decided to attack anyone who passed by?" Maka asked, raising an eyebrow.

A shrug. "I was sorta lost. Thought you could help."

"Does asking directions really require punching someone?"

At that Black Star went a little red in the face. He muttered something under his breath about training before stalking off into the ruff pines. None of us said anything, but guilty looks were exchanged.

"I'll go see if he needs help," Tsubaki decided, standing up smoothly. She clasped her hands behind her back and gave us a warm smile. I watched her walk away into the dark forest.

In no time at all, Kid got into an argument with Liz and Patti involving something about symmetry. I elected not to listen, and instead focused again on my thoughts.

The next thing I knew, Maka was beside me. I gave her a sideways look. "What's up?"

"So..." she said before instantly fading off. That wasn't a good start to whatever she wanted to ask me. "What is it like? I mean, to be able to transform into a weapon?"

I went very still. I should have known it would be along the lines of something like this. I decided to answer carefully. "Different. I'm still me but... less human." Okay, that was a terrible response. So I tried to add on. "Basically, it's like... being in your own world. A world that can't interact with reality. I can't move on my own. I can't do anything. I can only just hope and trust whoever wields me."

Maka didn't stop there. "Then, what's it like, being forced to wear those collars?"

I shivered despite the fire. I really didn't want to answer her, but for some reason I did anyway. The words slipped off my tongue and out my lips before I could stop them. "Terrifying. Imagine a nightmare. The kind where you can't scream and can't run. Where you just have to pray that either someone will find you, or you'll wake up. Except the latter never happens."

That response seemed to stifle her curiosity. She fell silent. Unfortunately, I could count the minutes it took on one hand before she said something again. "I've... been living the easy life, haven't I? I mean, I always thought my life was tough until now, but..." She starred at me hard, into my eyes, with that look on her face that promised she would never back down. "Be honest with me, Soul. Do you think we're ever going to make it to DWMA? Does it even exist?"

I didn't take long for my gaze to drop and my head to turn away. The hissing flames of the fire illuminated everything, and warmed my face. I could feel her words heavy on my shoulders. I was the one who dragged her into this. I was even wishing I'd just stayed in that tavern.

My fingers twitched, and I looked down at my hand. I'd been doing this a lot, I knew. But it was still so amazing to be able to move however and whenever I wanted. Even if I died tomorrow, at least I would die being in control of my life. Sometimes that just ended up being the important part.

"DWMA exists," I said when I knew I couldn't keep quiet any longer. "I don't know where, or if we'll ever get there. But we might as well try, right?"

"Yeah," Maka hummed, turning away from me. I looked once at her face, and saw that her faded green eyes seemed bright, and a suppressed smile was on her face. Well, at least someone was happy.

Discussion over, I turned back to my own thoughts, and realized I was too exhausted to try and sort them all out. Instead I opted for sleep. Unfortunately, it didn't come for some time.

A/N; Don't worry, bigger things are coming. Intense stuff awaits. Sorry for sloppiness and out of character things. I'll try and get better. Gotta ease back into this. Also, if you have any questions, comments, concerns, regarding anything at all, or if you have suggestions for what could happen later, don't hesitate to review them or message me.

Also, like I said the next chapter isn't finished, so I have no idea when it will be posted. Hopefully within a month or two?

May all the skies be clear, my friends. Have a great day.


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